BATTLE CREEK, Mich. –
Brad Prater is currently a Property Disposal Specialist in the requirements branch at DLA Disposition Services Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan. He started the PaCE program in 2018 and graduated in 2020.
In your own words, how would you describe the PaCE program, and what can you gain from it? It’s a great opportunity that not everyone gets to experience. The foundational knowledge that is provided is instrumental to your development. During the program you may not retain everything all at once but then one day everything just clicks together, and the Disposition world just opens right up.
Why did you first apply to the PaCE Program? Was it your first position with DLA? I applied to the PaCE Program because I wasn’t finished serving my country. Even though my military days had long passed me I still knew that there was something more I could do to support the Warfighter even in a civilian role. I had just finished up my bachelor’s degree, being a Veteran and looking for something federal close to home was a big plus. This was my first position within DLA.
What was your position before coming to the PaCE Program, if any? Corrections Deputy - Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Department, fulltime college student, Army veteran
What has been your favorite part of the PaCE Program? The most beneficial part was having the opportunity to shadow Mr. Cannon but also networking, obtaining an understanding of the agency as a whole, meeting new people and traveling.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program? Traveling to the field sites with the other PaCE group members, I still stay in touch with all of them and talk to a couple of them on a weekly basis whether they have stayed in the agency or have moved on to another career.
If there was one thing that could’ve been different for you in the PaCE program, what would it be? Onboarding just seemed like something so simple was made so difficult. Other than that, I am very thankful for the opportunity to have been selected, participated and graduated from to kick-off my federal civilian career.
What would you say is the most important quality to succeed in the PaCE program? Adaptability, things change on a moment’s notice, and you must be able to adjust on the fly.
Please describe your current position in a couple of sentences, and how being in the PaCE program affected you in that position. Currently I work in the contracting and requirements branch specifically with sales requirements and operation requirements. Being in the PaCE Program has provided and prepared me for my current role by having the whole understanding (big picture) of Disposition Services and how all the different areas are intertwined with one another.
What have you done since you finished with the PaCE Program? Since finishing up the program I stayed an additional year out in the field and applied to come back to HQ to be closer to family. I just started a new position within the Agency that was one of my professional goals to obtain and now that I have accomplished this, new goals have been created that I work towards every day. As a personal goal, I am looking forward to starting a master’s degree program soon but still haven’t decided on which university to attend just yet.
Where did you see yourself going when you first started, and how does that compare to where you are now? Honestly, I wasn’t sure as all I had known previously was the military and law enforcement. Once I had a better understanding of how the civilian side of the federal government operated the possibilities are endless.
Do you have any advice for current or prospective PaCERs? Go to a field site and experience those day-to-day operations where the rubber meets the road. HQ will always be here and if you want to come back that option is always available.
Editorial Note: The Pathways to Career Excellence Program for DLA Disposition Services is a two-year program that takes PaCERs through all of Disposition Services and its processes to learn as much as possible about the directorate. The first year takes place at DLA Disposition Services Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, and the second year either takes place in Battle Creek for Contracting PaCERs or at an assigned field site for Property Disposal PaCERs. PaCERs begin as general schedule 7s, move to GS-9s at the end of their first year, and graduate the program as GS-11s. There are multiple pathways to becoming a PaCER, including being hired internally, as a recent graduate, or from military service.